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Salomon Sense Pro

I’ve used the Salomon Sense and it’s cousin, the Sense Ultra since it was first made available for sale (at one point, even the Salomon elites were asking when they could get their hands on the shoe). While the shoe was grossly overpriced by today’s standards, it was a shoe that I instantly fell in love with and it has been used exclusively from 2012 till its retirement a year later. I bought it’s successor, the Sense Ultra some time later as my primary trail racing shoe, which has already ran two overseas ultra-marathons.

Side profile of all 3 shoes.

While the S-LAB series were designed for their elite runners in their racing team, it’s often priced well above $200, which may not be affordable to most consumers. It also meant that when the time came to replace the shoe, most would dread to fork out another $200+ to get a similar pair. Despite the ingenious design of the Sense and the Sense Ultra, I’ve got issues where I end up twisting my foot during a bout of fatigue while running on the trails. This has already happened at Bukit Timah and during the recent Translantau 50km. I don’t blame the shoe for my misadventures, but I know that my foot now isn’t that strong as it was before and extra care must be taken especially during a period of heavy training and racing.

I first saw the Salomon Sense Pro while checking out the current Salomon catalog on some running websites.

Excerpted from Running Warehouse:When you need a low and light trail shoe that doesn’t sacrifice protection, the Salomon Sense Pro is your answer. Built to handle both training and racing, this performance shoe balances cushioning and ground feel with a cushioned yet low profile platform. A rock plate guards against trail hazards, while a versatile outsole is suitable for a variety of surfaces from paved to technical.

The shoe drew my attention because it looked like the Sense Ultra, with the sole and midfoot of the shoe looking like it came from the Sense Mantra; and my guess was correct. Initially having doubts about the shoe, I was heartened to see some great words from runners/bloggers like the Ginger Runner.

The shoe is gorgeous ain’t it?

City Trail / Natural Running Shoe

A quick close up on the sole of the shoe.

The 3 pairs of Sense’s.

As you can see, the sole on the original Sense is thoroughly burned out.

Side profile of all 3 shoes.

As you can see, the sole on the original Sense is thoroughly burned out.

A quick closeup for the sole.

The Sense Pro became my race shoe during the recent Sabah Adventure Challenge. It went through about 100km in mileage of the course of 3 days and help up very well. Despite the absence of the ‘S-LAB’ designation, the shoe performs very close to its pro-labeled siblings.

The Sense Pro and it’s older cousin, the Sense Mantra

Pros

Excellent ride. Very similar to the other city trail shoes, it also works well on road.

Drains water rather well during run-ins with river crossings thanks to the S-LAB like upper.
(Could also be with the combination of wearing Drymax Lite Trail Run 1/4 Crew Socks)

Priced lower than the S-LAB range.

S-LAB upper makes it lighter and quicker to dry as compare to the Sense Mantra.

Cons

Not available in Singapore as of this time of writing.

* Disclaimer: At this point of time, I’m neither affiliated with Salomon, World or Sports nor am I a ‘sponsored’ athlete. Most of the equipment I’m using are bought at my own expense, unless otherwise stated that they are review sets.

2 Comments

Hi, I am tossing up between the Sense Pro and XT S-Lab 6, I need the cushioning for my overly supinator weak right foot. I have been running with Hoka and before inov8 and I think the feel of the trail. I tried the sense pro and felt comfortable but not as much as the XT. Do you have any recommendation?

Hi there. I actually own both pairs of shoes. I would say that I feel more comfortable in the Sense Pro based on my running style, but I made the decision to purchase the XT6 as I will be running a 100km race next year. Reasons being that the XT6 has thicker cushioning, deeper lugs and a sturdier shoe design. I think the XT6 is a good shoe, but it does feel a little stiff at times and its heavier than the Sense Pro while running. Comparing to a Hoka or maybe an inov8, the shoe is built like a tank and it’s a quality shoe. But if you’re not comfortable with the ride or feel of the shoe, you may wish to stick with the brand you’re currently on.